Nigeria vs Zambia: Urban population
Urban population in 2025: 63.8% in Nigeria and 45.9% in Zambia, by UN estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 17.9 percentage points, or 1.39 times that in Zambia.
NigeriaZambia
Watch it change on the map% of people · UN · log scale
Latest figures
% of people · UN
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 63.8 2025 | 55.7 | 119 of 229 | 83.4 2050 |
| Zambia | 45.9 2025 | 42 | 166 of 229 | 59.1 2050 |
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 1995, when it overtook Zambia.
- In 2025, Nigeria ranked 119 and Zambia ranked 166 of 229 countries, counting from the highest.
- The UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) puts Nigeria at 83.4% and Zambia at 59.1% in 2050.
Every year
% of people · UN
| Year | Nigeria | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 63.8 | 45.9 |
| 2024 | 63 | 45.5 |
| 2023 | 62.2 | 45 |
| 2022 | 61.4 | 44.6 |
| 2021 | 60.6 | 44.2 |
| 2020 | 59.8 | 43.9 |
| 2019 | 59 | 43.5 |
| 2018 | 58.2 | 43.1 |
| 2017 | 57.4 | 42.7 |
| 2016 | 56.5 | 42.3 |
| 2015 | 55.7 | 42 |
| 2014 | 54.9 | 41.6 |
| 2013 | 54.1 | 41.2 |
| 2012 | 53.3 | 40.8 |
| 2011 | 52.5 | 40.4 |
| 2010 | 51.7 | 40 |
| 2009 | 50.9 | 39.5 |
| 2008 | 50.1 | 39 |
| 2007 | 49.2 | 38.4 |
| 2006 | 48.4 | 37.8 |
| 2005 | 47.6 | 37.3 |
| 2004 | 46.7 | 36.8 |
| 2003 | 45.8 | 36.4 |
| 2002 | 45 | 36.1 |
| 2001 | 44.1 | 35.9 |
| 2000 | 43.3 | 35.9 |
| 1999 | 42.4 | 36.2 |
| 1998 | 41.6 | 36.7 |
| 1997 | 40.8 | 37.4 |
| 1996 | 40 | 38 |
| 1995 | 39.1 | 38.4 |
| 1994 | 38.3 | 38.7 |
| 1993 | 37.5 | 38.9 |
| 1992 | 36.8 | 39.1 |
| 1991 | 36 | 39.3 |
| 1990 | 35.2 | 39.4 |
| 1989 | 34.4 | 39.5 |
| 1988 | 33.6 | 39.5 |
| 1987 | 32.8 | 39.6 |
| 1986 | 32.1 | 39.7 |
| 1985 | 31.3 | 39.7 |
| 1984 | 30.5 | 39.8 |
| 1983 | 29.7 | 39.8 |
| 1982 | 29 | 39.9 |
| 1981 | 28.2 | 39.9 |
| 1980 | 27.4 | 39.9 |
| 1979 | 26.7 | 39.7 |
| 1978 | 25.9 | 39.3 |
| 1977 | 25.2 | 38.6 |
| 1976 | 24.4 | 37.8 |
| 1975 | 23.7 | 36.8 |
| 1974 | 23 | 35.7 |
| 1973 | 22.3 | 34.4 |
| 1972 | 21.6 | 33.2 |
| 1971 | 20.9 | 31.9 |
| 1970 | 20.2 | 30.7 |
| 1969 | 19.6 | 29.4 |
| 1968 | 18.9 | 28 |
| 1967 | 18.3 | 26.4 |
| 1966 | 17.7 | 24.6 |
| 1965 | 17.1 | 22.9 |
| 1964 | 16.5 | 21.3 |
| 1963 | 15.9 | 20.1 |
| 1962 | 15.4 | 19.1 |
| 1961 | 14.8 | 18.2 |
| 1960 | 14.2 | 17.2 |
| 1959 | 13.7 | 16.3 |
| 1958 | 13.2 | 15.5 |
| 1957 | 12.7 | 14.7 |
| 1956 | 12.2 | 14 |
| 1955 | 11.7 | 13.3 |
| 1954 | 11.3 | 12.7 |
| 1953 | 11 | 12.3 |
| 1952 | 10.7 | 11.9 |
| 1951 | 10.4 | 11.6 |
| 1950 | 10.1 | 11.5 |
UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025) · 2026–2050
| Year | Nigeria | Zambia |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.6 | 46.4 |
| 2027 | 65.4 | 46.8 |
| 2028 | 66.2 | 47.3 |
| 2029 | 67 | 47.8 |
| 2030 | 67.8 | 48.2 |
| 2031 | 68.6 | 48.7 |
| 2032 | 69.3 | 49.2 |
| 2033 | 70.1 | 49.7 |
| 2034 | 70.9 | 50.2 |
| 2035 | 71.7 | 50.7 |
| 2036 | 72.5 | 51.2 |
| 2037 | 73.3 | 51.7 |
| 2038 | 74.1 | 52.3 |
| 2039 | 74.9 | 52.8 |
| 2040 | 75.6 | 53.3 |
| 2041 | 76.4 | 53.9 |
| 2042 | 77.2 | 54.4 |
| 2043 | 78 | 55 |
| 2044 | 78.8 | 55.5 |
| 2045 | 79.5 | 56.1 |
| 2046 | 80.3 | 56.7 |
| 2047 | 81.1 | 57.3 |
| 2048 | 81.8 | 57.9 |
| 2049 | 82.6 | 58.5 |
| 2050 | 83.4 | 59.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people living in places the country itself counts as urban.
- Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025.
- The dashed line is the UN projection (World Urbanization Prospects 2025), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 229 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time